1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a storage system; more particularly to a storage system in the form of a locker for receiving and storing soiled articles such as wearing apparel; and more particularly to a storage system permitting the easy removal of stored items without requiring an individual to bend excessively during the article-removal process.
2. Background Art
Storage units, such as lockers, are commonly used to store wearing apparel, such as soiled garments, in manufacturing and other locations. Commonly the lockers has an upper, pivotal door moveable between closed and open positions to permit items, such as soiled clothing to be stored. After a period of time the locker needs to be emptied. Commonly a bottom section of a locker door is opened to expose the stored items, which generally are piled on the floor or bottom wall of the locker. Although upper garments initially may be easily removable without requiring excess bending; when garments at or near the floor need to be removed a person emptying the locker needs to bend excessively. In some cases this can cause the person to strain his/her back or otherwise become injured.
Prior art relating to storage units and similar storage devices of interest of this invention include:    1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,397,403 (Bishop), issued May 25, 1945;    2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,947 (Craft, issued Jan. 22, 1974;    3. U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,285 (Mignault), issued Jul. 31, 2001;    4. U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,566 (Rubin), issued Aug. 3, 2004;    5. U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,865 (Motamed), issued Dec. 21, 2004;    6. U.S. Pat. No. 8,944,249 (Mullaney), issued Feb. 3, 2015; and    7. U.S. Patent Publication 2015/0014264 (Linnell, Sr., et al.), issued Jan. 15, 2015.
The Motamed '865 patent discloses a spring-loaded catch basket designed to be attached to the outer wall of a document production machine. This basket includes hook members 115 that are removably attached to the outer wall of the document production machine and includes a rectangular sheet support member for supporting a plurality of sheets on it, a frame element above the sheet support member and capable of being coupled to the document production apparatus and a plurality of tension springs having one end connected to the frame element and the opposite end connected to the sheet support member to permit downward movement of the sheet support member in response to the weight of a plurality of sheets being directed into the catch tray. If desired, a shim 131 can be placed on the sheet support member for causing the sheets to be stacked at a desired angle.
Although the '865 patent discloses a downwardly moveable platform to receive a stack of papers, the device does not include hook members or other connecting members attached at the proximal end of tension springs for attachment through openings in walls of a locker and wherein distal ends of the springs include connecting members secured to a base that is movable downward upon the receipt of articles, e.g., soiled laundry, for maintaining a desired elevation of an upper soiled garment on the base. Moreover, in order to obtain an inclined stacking of paper in the '865 device a separate, angular shim member is required.
The Mullaney '249 patent discloses a refuse container including a bottom member that is mounted for downward, vertical movement on lower compression springs 116a-116d. The container also employs a weight indicator attached to the base to indicate the weight of material supported on the platform for the purpose of determining whether the refuse container can be handled safely.
The Mullaney '249 patent does not disclose a removable base member for a locker or similar storage unit.
The Rubin '566 patent relates to a diaper dispensing device wherein a plurality of diapers is maintained on a shelf 60 that is biased to move upwardly as individual diapers are removed from the stack, to thereby position the next adjacent diaper in alignment with a removal slot.
The arrangement of the moveable platform in the Rubin et al. '566 patent has no relationship to the present invention.
The Bishop '403 patent relates to a food dispenser cabinet having a moveable platform supported on a helical compression spring. The platform is forced upward by the compression spring to continuously position an upper package of food for removal through an upper slot in the cabinet.
This arrangement has no relationship to the present invention.
The Mignault '285 patent employs a spring loaded platform 82 mounted for vertical movement on a compression spring, in a manner similar to that disclosed in the Bishop '403 patent discussed above.
The Craft, III '947 patent discloses a moveable shelf arrangement in a truck. Shelves disposed on each side of the truck, can be inclined toward the center to minimize slippage of the articles during transit. This inclined arrangement is achieved by a complex mounting mechanism substantially different from that employed in the present invention.
The Linnell, Sr., et al. '264 publication discloses a device for storing a plurality of objects, such as trays. This device includes a storage shelf platform 16 designed for movement in a downward direction, as illustrated by the upper position 20 and a lower phantom position 22, upon the placement of food trays or other objects on the platform. The platform 16 is mounted for downward movement through mounting mechanisms provided in side frame members so as to leave the region between the platform 16 and the lower portion of the platform unobstructed for use in receiving empty trays and other objects.
The mounting arrangement for permitting downward movement of the platform 16 in the Linnell, Sr., et al. '264 publication is unrelated to the mounting arrangement provided in the present invention.